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    As a former member of the 42d Infantry Rainbow Division, that is credited as a liberator of the Dachau concentration camp on April 29, 1945, I was a guest of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, at the National Days of Remembrance events April 14-15 2010 at the beauktiful Mandarin Oriental hotel, 1330 Maryland Avenue, SW,Washington,D.C., I was one of some 120 other World War II veterans of liberating units at this event.

Having grown up in SW D.C. fron 1927 until 1943, when I entered the Army, it was a special treat to spend a night in S.W. D.C. for the first time in 63 years. During the 50’s the SW neighborhood was redeveloped, and continued new building still exists in this neighborh;ood today. Many years ago, Rabbi Moshe Horwitz, the Rabbi of Congregation Talmud Torah, 467 E Street,SW, lived around 6th and Maryland Aavenue SW, not too far away from the popular Mandarin Oriental hotel.

    I informed three other Rainbow veterans after the UHSMM’S invitation, putting them in touch with the contact personnel. As a result, all three of  these veterans attended the great event. All invited concentration camp liberators from throughout the U.S. received travel and hotel accomodations,provided by the USHMM.

On April 14, 2010, all guests were invited to the Mandarin Oriental hotel for a delicious luncheon, and also a liberator honoring breakfast on April 15, 2010 .

 At the breakfast, Morton Brooks, a Rainbow veteran was interviewed by Director Sara Bloomfieldl, along with an Afro American and a Japanese American,veterans who entered concentration camps and viewed the many piled up dead victims.

 Mr. Brooks had been captured by the Germans and singled out as one of some 80 Jewish Americans to be transferred to Berga, a mini concentration camp near Buchenwald. Together with 270 non Jewish POW’s, they worked not far from the Buchenwald holocaust inmates, crushing rocks from a mine dynamited by the Germans. Prisoners had to place the rocks in carts and duklmp them in a river. Over 20& of the Berga inmates perished. I had previously contacted Mort Brooks when I discovered he was sent to Berga, and we exchanged emails and phone calls, and finally met him in person at the Mandarin Oriental hotel for the first time.

   To attend a National Tribute dinner,and a cocktail reception  honoring Museum Chairman Fred Zeidman, all guests were bussed with a police escort to the Omni Shoreham hotel.

On April 15, 20110, all guests boarded buses with police escort to attend a National Days of Remembrance ceremony at the US Capital Rotunda, with the keynote address delivered by General David Petraeus, Commander of the U.S. Central Command. Adding interest to the Remembrance program, were the opening remarks by Museum chairman, Fred Zeidman, the U.S. Army Band, Presentation of Division flags, and a Memorial Candlelighting by selected members of Congree and Holocaust survivors.

   I feel certain that all of the invited concentration camp liberators will never program all the National Days of Remembrance events.